Improvement in transferring cars from one track to another



W. WHARTON, Jr.

ONE TRACK T0 ANOTHER. Patented Sept. 18, 1860.

M011 0F TRANSEBRRING CARS PROM No. 30,100.

UNITED ST PATENT Q F CE;

WVILLIAM IVHARTON, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN TRANSFERRING CARS FROM ONE TRACK TO ANOTHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 30,100, dated September 18, 1860.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WHARTON, Jr., of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Mode of Transferring Railway-Oars from one Track to Another; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in the mode of altering the course of railwaycars, for which Letters Patent were granted to William Brown, of Philadelphia, on the 30th day of August, 1859; and my improvement consists of an arrangement of rails forminga main track and a siding or turn-out, with a guide-rail, described hereinafter, in combination with car-wheels having simple annular projections so arranged as to bear against the side only of the said guide-rail, by means of which the wheels are directed onto the siding or turn-out by a lateral thrust.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 are ground plans illustrating my improved mode of transferring cars from one track to another, andFig. 3 a transverse section of the track.

A and A and A represent the direct rails forming the main track, and B and B the rails of the siding or turn-out.

The rail A joins the rail B, with a gentle curve at a, Figs. 1 and 2, so that one rail is a continuation of the other. At this curved point the portion A of the rail of the main track is separated from the diagonal rail B of the turn-out by a space sufficiently large to allow for the free passage of the flanges of the wheels. The rail B of the siding meets the rail A of the main track at a point opposite to that where the rail A meets the rail B, there being a sufficient space between the rail B and the rail A for the passage of the flanges of the wheels.

To the track, and at a suitable distance from the rail A, is secured a guide-rail D, the end ofwhich is slightly curved to correspond with the curved junction of the rail A with the rail B. short distance beyond the end of the rail A, the distance between the two being such as to allow the flanges of the wheels to pass freely between them.

The cars which have to traverse the direct rails of the main line are provided with the usual wheels, as seen in red lines, Fig. 1, the flanges of the wheels on one side passing between the guiderail D and the'rail A and the flanges of the wheels on the opposite side passing freely between the rail B of the turn-out and rail A of the main track and the guide-rail D being so situated that it in no way disturbs the tendency of the wheels to traverse the rails of the main track.

The cars which have to pass from the main track to the siding are provided with wheels having simple annular projections on the inside, as seen in Fig. 3, the projections being of such a width that in passing between A and the guide-rail D the latter will tend to push the wheels laterally and direct them onto the rail B ofthe siding, as seen in Fig. 3, the wheels on the opposite side of the car taking the direction of the rails B.

I am aware that a curved rail has been heretofore applied to turn-outs on railways for the purpose of changing the direction of the carstion with turn-outs nor wheels with supple-' mentary flanges; but I limit my claim to and desire to procure Letters Patent for my improvement on the invention described in the aforesaid patent of William Brown-that is to ay,

The end of this guide-rail projects av I claim In testimony whereof I have signed my The Within-described arrangement of the name to this specification in the presence of rails A A and A and B B and the curved two subscribing witnesses.

rail D, in combination with wheels having \VILLIAM WHARTON, JR. simple annular projections so arranged as to \Vitnesses:

bear against the side only of the said curved HENRY HOWSON,

rail, as and for the purpose herein set forth. CHAS. E. FOSTER. 

